GE C40-8
Bio The GE, General Electric, C40-8 (Dash 8-40C, C40-8C, or simply Dash 8) is a type of six-axle, 4,000hp diesel locomotive built from 1987 to 1992 with over 800 built; including over 800 C40-8W units, having about 1,600 total. It is the predecessor to the B40-8, its four-axle counter-part, as well as being the first official member of GE's Dash 8 Series or locomotive line to not be an experimental Super 7 Series diesel locomotive like the C39-8 or the C32-8. Many are still in service on US and North American Class 1 railroads, with some railroads currently having portions of their C40-8 rosters in storage (most notably Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific), aside from units in the process of being retired. History The GE C40-8 is considered to be one of the most revolutionary diesel locomotives produced by GE, because of it being the very first six-axle DC-traction diesel locomotive to have 4,000hp, as well as having modern, high-tech microprocessor controls, and including an American Safety Cab (or wide-cab) variant; the C40-8W or C40-8CW, which provided better safety for head-on collisions and crew visibility. The C40-8 revolutionized modern diesel locomotives by having high-horsepowered engines and wide-cabs, becoming the new standard for average diesel locomotives as opposed to having lower horsepower and a standard cab like with most, or 75% of other types of American and/or North American diesel locomotives built from 1964 to 1985. (Excluding Canadian-built diesel locomotives with cowl cabs or cowl bodies; as well as the F40PH, FP45, F45, and U30CG.) Railroads such as the Chicago And Northwestern (CNW) and the company that eventually purchased the railroad; Union Pacific, were the two main customers who first purchased the C40-8 to be used on their heavy and fast-paced intermodel service, as well as on coal drag or coal train service, while later companies such as CSX, Conrail and Norfolk Southern purchased units towards the mid-1990's. CSX eventually purchased their first fleet in 1991 and they were painted in an exclusive variant of their "Stealth"; scheme known as "Grey Ghost" nicknamed by railfans and employees, as well as the units having italicized numbering and lettering to help distinguish the once-unusual and highly uncommon 4,000hp diesel locomotives. Yet, CSX's Dash 8 fleet grew from having only 25 to 30 units, to over 150 after the purchase of Conrail from CSX and NS in 1999, as well as having units leased and eventually purchased by the railroad later on. Canadian Railroads such as BC and CN eventually grew interested in purchasing a fleet of cowl-bodied, Canadian-built C40-8W units, which were classified as the C40-8M; to whom these units were produced by the Canadian portion of GE, as well as some being built by CN and BC before CN purchased BC in 2004. These units are in the process of being retired by CN (as of 2011-2013), and are to be replaced with former BNSF and UP C40-8's from CNW and ATSF heritage. The GE C44-9CW (Dash 9) was its initial replacement; yet both were originally meant to be compatible with one another. But, because of the Dash 8's initial success, the development for the Dash 9 became an instant success. Versions There are also several versions of the C40-8: C40-8W (wide-cab/safety-cab; as listed above) C40-8M (cowl-bodied; as listed above) C41-8 (experimental 4,135hp upgraded version) C41-8W (experimental upgraded wide-cab 4,135hp version of the C40-8W) C44-8W (specially ordered by CSX with 52 examples built; all currently downgraded and de-rated to 4,000hp and classified as "C40-9W or C44-9W due to having Dash 9 components") Trivia/Facts Because of how different the cab for the C40-8W is, the controls are placed differently like with other wide-cab GE units. The C40-8 was proven to be able to replace 5 SD40-2 units on an average mainline freight train with only needing 3 or 4 units as opposed to 5; aside from the fact that they originally wanted, advertised, or demonstrated to the Burlington Northern who once had one of the largest fleets of SD40-2's and were their main locomotive. GE Evolution Series locomotives are more capable of replacing 3,200hp locomotives such as the SD40-2 as opposed to the C40-8. Hence, two ES44AC units can replace 5 SD40-2's; aside from 2 AC4400CW units replacing 5 SD40-2's as well. The CNW's final three C40-8's that were ordered were experimental upgraded 4,135hp units, which weren't very successful, and proved to be unnecessary due to the introduction of the C44-9W (Dash 9) the following year in 1993. Conrail originally "over-ordered" a fleet of C40-8W units (with them having over or at least 215 units), to which they were no longer necessary, or were rarely used. Hence, the company sold a fleet of 60 units to LMX (or LMSX leasing) which were eventually purchased by the Illinois Central (IC) shortly before becoming purchased by the CN, as well as CSX and NS purchasing several units before the Conrail split in 1999. The C41-8W was originally used by the Union Pacific after they converted a fleet of C40-8W's shortly before the Dash 9 was introduced and went into production. Only two former "Grey Ghost" YN1-painted or patched CSX C40-8's are still left on their roster. The rest are painted in YN2 and YN3 paint. The C41-8W originally had its own unique type of trucks, which were often used on several C40-8C's. Union Pacific is also in the process of retiring their fleet of C40-8's, to whom they've been leased and sold to Norfolk Southern and CN, as well as various different leasing companies such as HLCX, CEFX, NREX and LLPX having several former UP C40-8's. Most of CSX's former Conrail Dash 8's still have their original marker lights. During the economic downturn of 2008, many of UP's Dash 8's were placed in storage before being retired. UP 9400 was the 1,000th Dash 8 unit built in 1993, and is currently in storage as of 2012. UP 9405 was also dedicated to having a safety record by having a special plaque applied to the side of the cab similar to UP 9700. CN 2122 (formally UP 9087 and originally CNW 8575) is actually one of the three former CNW C41-8C units which survived as being one of the only CNW-painted Dash 8 units on UP's roster before becoming one of the many former UP Dash 8's purchased by CN. (The unit was also one of the only unpatched CNW Dash 8 units before eventually receiving patchwork in 2005-2006.) The unit has since been converted since CN's purchase. The C44-8W originally had a few minor differences between every other variant of the C40-8W; the most notable difference being the frame steps. Gallery BC C40-8M.jpg|An example of a BC Rail (British Columbia Railroad) C40-8M. CN Dash 8.jpg|An example of a CN-painted C40-8W. CSX Dash 8's.jpg|An example of a CSX YN2-painted C40-8W with a former Conrail-painted C40-8W. CNW C40-8C.jpg|An example of a CNW C40-8C. GE C40-8 with C41-8W truck.jpg|An example of a UP C40-8 with a C41-8W's leading truck or axle. Odd CSX Dash 8.jpg|An odd CSX Dash 8 with missing lettering. CSX Grey Ghost Dash 8.jpg|An example of a CSX "Grey Ghost" Dash 8. CSX YN1 Dash 8.JPG|An example of a patched YN1 CSX "Grey Ghost" Dash 8. CSX Grey Ghost.jpg|A better example of a CSX "Grey Ghost" C40-8. (Notice the italicized numbering.) 1,000th Dash 8.jpg|An example of UP 9400 with its special banner. UP 9405.JPG|An example of UP 9405's plaque. CN 2122.jpg|CN 2122 during the purchase. CNW 8575.jpg|CNW 8575 shortly before becoming UP 9087. CN 2122 2.jpg|CN 2122 as of 2010. UP 9087.jpg|UP 9087 during the final days of its original career before becoming CN 2122. CSX C44-8W.jpg|CSX #9000; the first of 52 C44-8W units exclusively ordered by CSX. CSX 9000 Converted.jpg|CSX #9000 showing proof of its conversion (the radiator cabinet control box and frame being the two most noticable differences from the previous images). Category:GE Locomotives Category:Diesel Locomotives